All Summer in a Day Open Book Test
1. As “All Summer in a Day” begins, the children await an event the scientists on Venus
told them to expect. How does this event relate to the story’s setting? Use details from
the beginning of the story to respond.
The children live on Venus, where it has been raining for seven years. The children
have been told that the rain will stop and they will see the sun on this specific day.
2. Margot is different from the other children in “All Summer in a Day.” What is the author’s
purpose in making her different? Use details from the story to support your answer. Include
information about how Margot differs from the other children.
Margot has been on Venus for only four years. The other children have been on
Venus their entire lives. They do not remember the sun, but Margot does. The
author’s purpose in making Margot different is to emphasize the strangeness of life
on Venus.
3. In “All Summer in a Day,” the children watch as the rain is slackening. They become
excited and concerned, because they don’t want to miss a special experience. How does
slackening suggest what is about to happen? Use clues from the story to support your
answer.
The word slackening means easing or slowing. The children are waiting for the rain
to stop and for the sun to come out, which the scientists have told them will
happen.
4. As the story of “All Summer in a Day” progresses, the author describes Margot’s physical
appearance. Why is this description important in helping the reader understand more about
her? In your answer, use details from the description to explore how she might be feeling.
The author describes Margot as frail and washed­out looking. She is almost a ghost
in her appearance, suggesting that her feelings are also delicate. It is as if she is
fading and dying without the sun.
5. How is Margot like and unlike the other students in “All Summer in a Day”? Use details
from the middle of “All Summer in a Day” to support your response. Include in your answer
an explanation that tells why the other children are angry with her.
Margot and the other children share the circumstance of suffering from the
constant rain and lack of sun. Since Margot has seen the sun more recently than
the other students, they are jealous of her. They do not believe what she says about
the sun and accuse her of lying.
6. In the middle of “All Summer in a Day,” the author calls it a crime that Margot came from
Earth only five years ago. What is the author’s purpose in choosing such a strong word to
describe her appearance on Venus? Use examples from the story to justify your response.
The author uses the word crime to emphasize how strongly the other children feel
about Margot. They hate her for remembering the sun and treat her as though she
had committed some illegal act.
7. What conclusion can you draw about how the school showers make Margot feel in
“All Summer in a Day”? List two reactions in the organizer. Then, explain why her reaction is
so intense.
Margot’s Reactions
Clutches her ears
Screams that the water must not touch her head
Conclusion
Her reaction is intense because it shows how annoyed and bothered Margot is by
the rain. She feels trapped inside and outside because of the rain.
8. In the middle of “All Summer in a Day,” the weeds on the ground are described as
resilient. How are the children in the story also resilient? Use the definition of resilient and
details from the story in your answer.
Resilient means to spring back into shape. The children are resilient because like
the weeds, they are able to bounce back on a daily basis without letting the rain
discourage them.
9. In the middle of “All Summer in a Day,” the children respond to the change in their setting.
How do they react to the appearance and disappearance of the sun? Use details from the
story to respond.
The children become excited at seeing the sun, running around and turning their
faces to the sky. They look around them and enjoy the sounds and colors they have
not experienced in years, behaving as though they have been shut in cages. When
the rain begins again, one of them starts to cry, and they all become sad.
10. At the end of “All Summer in a Day,” how do the children feel about having shut Margot
in the closet? Use details from the end of the story to support your response. Include in your
answer information that shows that their feelings about Margot are complicated.
The children feel guilty. One of them lets out a cry and they cannot meet one
another’s glances. They are slow to let Margot out of the closet because they are
afraid of her reaction or of getting into trouble.